Apertured web for disposable body exudates absorbent garments and method for making same

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing an aperture web including bonding a first and second web together with the second web bonded to a lower surface of the first web and feeding the bonded web in a first direction, subjecting the first web to pillar-shaped water jets from at least one nozzle having a plurality of orifices arranged transversely to the first direction until the first web is locally torn and provided with a plurality of apertures in rows extending parallel to one another in the first direction, and then subjecting the second web to pillar-shaped water jets supplied from at least one nozzle having a plurality of orifices arranged transversely to the first direction until peripheral edges of the apertures are partially deformed upward from the lower surface of the first web.

This is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 09/199,956, filed Nov. 25,1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,524.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to apertured webs for body exudates absorbentgarments such as skin-contactable sheets for disposable diapers andsanitary napkins.

FIG. 8 of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view of amicroapertured polymeric web 110 described in Japanese PatentApplication Disclosure Gazette (Kokai) No. Sho62-57551 in which the web110 exhibiting a substantially uniform soft and silky tactileimpression. The web 110 is intended to be used as a topsheet or abacksheet in a disposable diaper and made from a relatively thin plasticmaterial as a starting web. Specifically, the starting web is placed ona support such as a mesh wire and transported into a processing zone inwhich the starting web is subjected to high pressure liquid jets.

The apertured polymeric web 110 is formed on its skin-contactablesurface with a plurality of cylindrical projections 120 which have, inturn, microapertures 125 at their tops. Each of these microapertures 125is formed along its peripheral edge with irregularly shaped petals. Theweb 110 is claimed to have a soft fabric-like touch and to present nosurface gloss.

Whether the polymeric web used in disposable diapers or sanitary napkinspresent a soft touch or not when such web is in contact with thewearer's skin is often determined on the basis of a certain softnessreference, for example, softness of a woven or nonwoven fabric made ofnatural fibers or synthetic fibers.

In the polymeric web, a peripheral edge of each microaperture formed atthe top of each cylindrical projection is finely divided so as to formthe irregularly shaped petals. Probably the irregularly shaped petalsprovide a soft fabric touch when the wearer's skin rubs the irregularlyshaped petals. However, even when the polymeric web is formed with aplurality of the cylindrical projections, there is an apprehension thatthese projections may rather increase a rigidity of the web.Accordingly, it is difficult for the polymeric web to reconcile a highsoftness and a high drapeability as provided by a woven- or nonwovenfabric. A topsheet in a body exudates absorbent garment can comfortablyadopt itself to the wearer's skin only when the softness anddrapeability are well reconciled.

A drapeability of the polymeric web can be improved by thinning thepolymeric web. For example, use of low density polyethylene having athickness of 0.001˜0.020 mm as the topsheet in disposable diapers orsanitary napkins will be effective to improve the drapeability. However,such excessively thin web will inevitably confront problems such thatthe web must be handled with excessive carefulness during the processfor manufacturing diapers or napkins and the web can not be easilypeeled off from the wearer's skin once the web has beenelectrostatically attracted on the wearer's skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above problems, the invention first aims to improve adrapeability of the conventional polymeric web having a soft fabric-liketouch. The invention further aims to facilitate the relatively thinpolymeric web having its drapeability improved to be handled during theprocess of manufacturing disposable garments. The invention additionallyaims to provide a method for manufacturing the polymeric web having asoftness as well as a high drapeability and having its handlingfacilitated.

According to first and second aspects of the invention, respectively, aswill be described below:

The first aspect of the invention relates to an apertured web for adisposable garment, the apertured web comprising: an apertured polymericweb having upper and lower surfaces, the apertured polymeric web being0.001˜0.05 mm and including a plurality of substantially flat portions,each being 0.03˜1 mm wide, extending in parallel one to another in onedirection and a plurality of intermittent apertures extending in the onedirection between each pair of the flat portions so as to form aplurality of aperture rows extending in parallel one to another in theone direction; the flat portions adjacent one to another with theaperture rows therebetween being interconnected by a plurality ofbridge-like portions extending both of the flat portions adjacent one toanother across the aperture rows; and the intermittent apertured beingdefined by edges of the flat portions extending in the one direction andedges of the bridge-like portions extending transversely of the flatportions, the flat portions being formed at least along the edgesthereof extending in the one direction with a plurality of substantiallysaw-tooth-shaped rising portions rising upward from the upper surface ofthe flat portions so as to make the upper surface more rough than thelower surface of the flat portions.

The first aspect of the invention includes preferable embodiments asfollows:

(1) Most of the intermittent apertures have a width of 0.07˜1 mm and alength corresponding to 1.5 or more times of the width.

(2) A tension exerted on the web transversely of the aperture rowscauses only the bridge-like portions to be stretched and thereby causesthe web to be stretched transversely of the aperture rows.

(3) A fibrous layer having a basis weight of 2˜30 g/m² is joined to thelower surface of the polymeric web to form a composite web.

(4) The fibrous layer comprises thermoplastic synthetic fibers orchemical fibers having a fineness of 1˜15 d.

(5) The fibrous layer includes natural fibers.

(6) The fibrous layer comprises hydrophilic fibers.

(7) The polymeric web is formed with a plurality of liquid guidingpassages each having a diameter of 0.1˜5 mm and extending downward fromthe upper surface.

The second aspect of the invention relates to a method for continuouslymanufacturing an apertured web composed of an apertured polymeric web asfirst web having upper and lower surfaces, sheet-like fibrous assemblyas a second web having upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface ofthe second web being joined to the lower surface of the first web, and aplurality of rising portions formed on the upper surface of the firstweb by a part of the first web so as to make the upper surface of thefirst web rough, the method comprising the steps of:

a. continuously feeding the first web in one direction;

b. continuously feeding the second web in the one direction so that theupper surface of the second web is placed upon the lower surface of thefirst web, followed by joining these first and second webs togetherunder a pressure to form a first composite web;

c. continuously feeding the first composite web in one direction so thatthe upper surface of the first web as one component of the firstcomposite web is subjected to pillar-shaped water jets supplied fromnozzle means having a plurality of fine orifices arranged transverselyof the one direction and, if desired, the upper surface of the first webis repeatedly subjected to the pillar-shaped water jets describing theircorresponding loci substantially aligned one with another until thefirst web is at least locally torn along the loci, thereby the first webis formed with a plurality of aperture rows extending in parallel one toanother in the one direction and second composite web is obtained; and

d. continuously feeding the second composite web in one direction sothat the lower surface of the second web as the other component of thesecond composite web is subjected to pillar-shaped water jets suppliedfrom nozzle means having a plurality of fine orifices arrangedtransversely of the one direction, using pillar-shaped water jetspreferably arranged so as to describe their loci substantially alignedwith the loci described by the corresponding pillar-shaped water jets onthe step c, more preferably two or more times, until the first web ispartially deformed substantially in the saw-tooth-shape upward from thelower surface of the first web along peripheral edges of the aperturesin the respective aperture rows which have been formed as a result oflocal tearing of the first web under the effect of the pillar-shapedwater jets.

The second aspect of the invention includes preferable manners ofexecution as follows:

(1) The step b comprises a step of pressing the first web in itsthermally softened state against the second web.

(2) The step b comprises a step of feeding the first web together with asecond web into a nip between a pair of heated rolls to heat-seal thesetwo webs.

(3) The step b comprises a step of bonding the first and second webstogether by means of adhesive agent.

(4) The first web includes any one of the thermoplastic syntheticfibers, chemical fibers and natural fibers.

(5) The method further including a step of making the second webhydrophilic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of polymeric web according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line II—II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is sectional view taken along a line III—III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of composite webincorporated with the polymeric web as a component;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the compositeweb incorporated with the polymeric web as a component;

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a manufacturing processfor a continuous polymeric web;

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a manufacturing processfor the continuous composite web; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a polymeric web manufactured accordingto the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An apartured web according to the invention particularly intended to beused in disposable garments as well as a method for making such a webwill be more fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

A polymeric web 1 shown by FIG. 1 in a perspective view is made of athermoplastic synthetic resin film and has a flexibility. The web 1comprises a plurality of substantially flat portions 8 extending inparallel one to another in a direction as indicated by a double-headedarrow Y, a plurality of aperture rows 11 extending also in the directionY. Each of the apertures rows 11 includes aperture 9 defined betweeneach pair of the adjacent flat portions 8, bridge-like portions 10extending across the respective apertures 9 between each pair of theadjacent flat portions 8, and a plurality of raised portions 12 formedon edges of the apertures 9 so as to extend upward with respect to uppersurfaces 13 of the flat portions 8. A thickness of the web 1 should beunderstood to be a thickness of the flat portions 8.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional view taken along lines II—II and III—III,respectively, in FIG. 1. Each of the flat portions 8 has a thickness of0.001˜0.05 mm and a width W₁ of 0.03˜1 mm as measured in a direction asindicated by a double-headed arrow X between a pair of the adjacentapertures 9, 9. A plurality of the apertures 9 are formed intermittentlyin the direction Y so as to define each of the aperture rows 11. Each ofthese apertures 9 preferably has a width W₂ of 0.07˜1 mm correspondingto 1.5 or more times of its length. The bridge-like portions 10extending across the respective apertures rows 11 are formedintermittently in the direction Y. There are provided two types of thesebridge-like portions 10, i.e., those (10A) which extend upward ordownward from the upper surfaces 13 of the flat portions 8 to the uppersurfaces 13 of the respectively adjacent flat portions 8 so as todescribe arcs and those (10B) which are flush with the flat portions 8.Preferably, each of the bridge-like portions 10A has a width W₃ of atleast 0.01˜2 mm as measured in the direction Y. Each of the risingportions 12 is formed by partially folding the flat portion 8 upwardalong the edge of the aperture 9 and has a proximal end 16 connected tothe flat portion 8 and a free end 17 extending upward from the proximalend 16. Each of the apertures 9 is defined by edges 18 extendingsubstantially in the direction Y and edges 19 extending substantially inthe direction X. An upper edge 17A of the free end 17 forms irregularlyshaped petals at least along the edge 18. The upper edge 17A lies at aheight H of 0˜1 mm as measured from the upper surface 13 of the flatportion 8.

Such irregularly shaped petals of the upper edge 17A occurs, forexample, in a manner as seen in FIG. 2. Specifically, a substantiallytriangular zone 23 defined by an oblique side 21 ascending substantiallyrightward, an oblique side 22 ascending substantially leftward and theproximal end 16 extending between these two oblique sides 21, 22repeatedly appears. A thickness of the rising portion 12 should be equalto or less than the thickness of the flat portion 8 so that, uponcontacting the wearer's skin, the rising portion 12 may be flexiblydeformed and give the upper surface of the web 1 soft and smooth velvettouch.

While it is difficult to visibly identify each of the rising portions12, these rising portions 12 entirely make the upper surface of the web1 fluffy and give the upper surface somewhat rough appearance. Over suchupper surface of the web 1, light rays incident thereupon arediffusively reflected by the rising portions 12 and the upper surface iscorrespondingly less glossy than the lower surface of the web 1. In thismanner, the rising portions 12 are effective to reduce surface glosspeculiar to the smooth polymeric web 1. Such effect of reducing thesurface gloss will be further improved when the respective flat portions8 are provided on their upper surface 13 with a plurality of fineirregularities formed by embossing.

The polymeric web 1 can be easily folded along the aperture rows 11 witha high drapeability. If most of the apertures 9 have their lengths 1.5or more times of their widths, the drapeability will be furtherimproved. Expression “most” should be understood to mean 70% or higher,preferably 80% or higher and more preferably 90% or higher of the totalnumber of these apertures 9. When the web 1 includes the bridge-likeportions 10 which describe the arcs bulging upward or downward from theupper surfaces 13 of the respective flat portions 8 (i.e., in the caseof the bridge-like portions 10A), these arcs are flattened as the web 1is subjected to a tension in the direction X orthogonal to the aperturerows 11 and therefore the web 1 is stretchable in the direction X.Depending on the material for the web 1, the stretchability of thebridge-like portions 10 is high particularly when each of thebridge-like portions 10 has a width of 0.001˜0.1 mm. Stretchability ofthe web 1 also contributes to improvement of its drapeability.

It has been found that the web 1 can be used as the most suitableliquid-permeable topsheet in disposable diapers or sanitary napkins whenits air-permeability is adjusted to 50˜700 mm³/cm²·sec as measuredaccording to JIS (Japanese Industries Standards)-L-1096 and itsliquid-resistance is adjusted to 0˜200 mm as measured according toJIS-L-1092.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a composite web 100, exemplarily showinga manner in which the web 1 is used. The web 1 itself is relatively thinand it may be difficult to handle it during the manufacturing processfor disposable diapers or sanitary napkins. The web 1 is apt to be tornalong the aperture rows 11 and such tendency also makes it difficult tohandle the web 1. Furthermore, once the lower surface 14 of the web 1has been tightly attracted onto the wearer's skin under theelectrostatic effect, it will be inconveniently difficult to peel offthe web 1 from the skin. To avoid such problems, a fibrous layer 2 isjoined to the lower surface 14 of the web 1 as in the embodiment shownby FIG. 4 so that a thickness of the web 1 may be increased without lossof a desired touch peculiar to the rising portions 12 and at the sametime a tear strength of the web 1 may be improved. Improvement of thetear strength facilitates the web 1 to be handled.

The fibrous layer 2 preferably has a basis weight of 2˜30 g/m² and ismade of thermoplastic synthetic fibers, chemical fibers such as rayonfibers, a mixture of these synthetic fibers and chemical fibers or amixture of the synthetic fibers or chemical fibers and natural fiberssuch as cotton fibers or pulp fibers. The fibrous layer 2 preferably isa nonwoven fabric made of any one of the fibers or a mixture thereof andpresents a flexibility. More preferably, the fibrous layer 2 is anonwoven fabric made of thermoplastic synthetic fibers having a finenessof 0.1˜15 d. It should be understood here that such a nonwoven fabricincludes a nonwoven fabric made of melt blown fibers.

When the composite web 100 is used as a liquid-permeable topsheet indisposable diapers or sanitary napkins, it is preferable that thecomposite web 100 has an air-permeability of 50˜700 mm³/cm²· sec asmeasured in the thickness direction of the fibrous layer 2 according toJIS-L-1096 and a liquid-resistance of 0˜200 mm as measured according toJIS-L-1092. In addition, the fibrous layer 2 is preferably made ofhydrophilic fibers. The web 1 and the fibrous layer 2 may be joinedtogether by means of heat- or ultrasonic-sealing technique or suitableadhesive agent such as hot melt adhesive.

The polymeric web 1 as well as the composite web 100 as have beendescribed above can be advantageously used as the liquid-permeabletopsheet in the body exudates absorbent garment for the reason asfollows: Body exudates discharged on the flat portions 8 flow through avalley defined between each pair of the rising portions 12 which areadjacent to each other in the direction Y into the adjacent aperture 9,on one hand, and directly flow into the apertures 9 at locations of theflat portions 8 having no rising portion 12 along their side edges(i.e., the locations at which the height of the rising portions 12 issubstantially zero), on the other hand. In this way, the body exudatescan be rapidly absorbed by the core. Accordingly, both the web 1 and thecomposite web 100 are free from any apprehensive inconvenience that anyamount of body exudates stay on the upper surface of the web 1 afterdischarged whether the rising portions 12 are present or not around theapertures.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing an alternate manner in whichthe web 1 is actually used in the form of composite web 200. While thiscomposite web 200 also comprises the web 1 and the fibrous layer 2 justas in the case of the composite web 100, the web 1 used as a componentof this composite web 200 includes liquid guiding passages 51 inaddition to the arrangement shown by FIG. 1. Each of the liquid guidingpassages 51 has a tubular configuration extending from the upper surfaceto the lower surface of the web 1. More specifically, the liquid guidingpassage 51 comprises an upper opening 52, a lower opening 53 and atubular wall 54 extending between these two openings 52, 53. Each ofthese openings 52, 53 has a diameter of 0.1˜5 mm, more preferably of1.5˜5 mm. An open area ratio of the upper openings 52 to the uppersurface of the web 1 is 1˜70%, more preferably 5˜50%. The liquid guidingpassage 51 has a length of 0.1˜5 mm, more preferably 0.2˜3 mm. While thefibrous layer 2 is shown to cover the lower surface 14 of the web 1 onlyits zone extending around the lower openings 53 of the respective liquidguiding passages 51, it is also possible to cover the lower surface 14inclusive of all the lower openings 53.

Such composite web 200 is suitable particularly for use as the topsheetin disposable diapers or sanitary napkins. So far as the lower openings53 are in contact with the liquid-absorbent core of diapers or napkins,body exudates discharged on diapers or napkins can be rapidly guided bythe liquid guiding passages 51 to the core. To ensure such liquidguiding effect, it is preferable that each of the liquid guidingpassages 51 is tapered from its upper opening 52 to its lower opening 53and at least an inner surface of its tubular wall 54 is hydrophilic.

FIG. 6 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a process according towhich the web 1 is manufactured.

Starting from the left hand in FIG. 6, a web 61 of thermoplasticsynthetic resin film is discharged from an extruder 62 and then fed byfeed rolls 63 to a first processing zone 65. In the first processingzone 65, the web 61 has its upper surface 61A subjected to a pluralityof pillar-shaped water jets supplied from a nozzle array 64 having aplurality of orifices arranged at a predetermined pitch transversely ofthe web 61. The web 61 is torn at its spots directly impinged by thepillar-shaped water jets or in the vicinity of these spots andconsequently a plurality of intermittent apertures (not shown) areformed longitudinally of the web 61 as the latter travels so as to forma plurality of aperture rows (not shown) extending in parallel one toanother transversely of the web 61. In this manner, a continuous web 59is obtained. The web 59 corresponds to the web 1 shown by FIG. 1 and theintermittent apertures forming the aperture rows correspond to theapertures 9 and the aperture rows 11, respectively, shown by FIG. 1. Thefirst processing zone 65 may include, in addition to the nozzle array64, second and third nozzle arrays 64A, 64B adapted to supplypillar-shaped water jets, if necessary to form the aperture rows. Thesenozzle arrays 64,64A, 64B are preferably arranged so that correspondingorifices of these nozzle arrays are substantially aligned one withanother transversely of the web 61 and therefore the correspondingorifices describe loci which are substantially placed one upon another.Below the first processing zone 65, there is provided a suctionmechanism 40 adapted to collect the amount of water jetted from therespective nozzle arrays under an effect of suction. Lower surfaces 61Bof the web 61 in FIG. 6 corresponds to the upper surface of the web 1 inFIG. 1

The web 61 which has been formed with the apertures in the firstprocessing zone 65 may be then subjected to the pillar-shaped water jetssupplied from, instead of the second and third nozzle arrays 64A, 64B inthe same zone 65, a fourth nozzle array 68 alone or fourth, fifth andsixth nozzle arrays 68, 68A, 68B in a second processing zone 67 whichunderlies the lower surface 61B of the web 61 so far as the water jetssupplied from these nozzle arrays 68, 68A, 68B describe locisubstantially placed upon the loci described by the water jets suppliedfrom the first nozzle array 64. In this case, peripheral edges of therespective apertures are deformed in a direction of the pillar-shapedwater jets to which the web 61 is subjected in the second processingzone 67, i.e., from the lower surface 61B toward the upper surface 61Aof the web 61. The upper surface 61A of the web 61 corresponds to theupper surface of the web 1 shown by FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a process for manufacturingcontinuous composite web 100, in which materials as well as the stepssimilar to those illustrated in FIG. 6 are designated by the similarreference numerals, respectively. A second web 72 comprising sheet-likefibrous assembly destined to form the fibrous layer 2 is continuouslyfed from the left hand in the diagram. A first web 61 comprising athermoplastic synthetic resin web discharged from an extruder 62 isplaced, in its thermally softened state, upon an upper surface 72A ofthe second web 72 and fed together into a nip between a pair of pressurerolls 73. In this way, these two webs 61, 72 are bonded together so asto form first composite web 101.

In a first processing zone 65, the first web 61 as one component of thefirst composite web 101 has its upper surface 61A subjected to aplurality of pillar-shaped water jets supplied from a nozzle array 64having a plurality of orifices arranged at a predetermined pitchtransversely of the first composite web 101 . The first web 61 is tornat its spots directly impinged by the pillar-shaped water jets or in thevicinity of these spots and consequently formed with a plurality ofintermittent apertures (not shown) longitudinally of the first compositeweb 101 as the latter travels so as to form a plurality of aperture rows(not shown) extending in parallel one to another transversely of thefirst composite web 101. In this manner, a continuous second compositeweb 102 is obtained. The first processing zone 65 may include, inaddition to the nozzle array 64, second and third nozzle arrays 64A, 64Badapted to supply pillar-shaped water jets, if necessary to form theaperture rows. These nozzle arrays 64, 64A, 64B are preferably arrangedso that corresponding orifices of these nozzle arrays are substantiallyaligned one with another transversely of the first composite web 101 andtherefore the corresponding orifices describe loci which aresubstantially placed one upon another. Below the first processing zone65, there is provided a suction mechanism 40 adapted to collect theamount of water jetted from the respective nozzle arrays under an effectof suction.

The second composite web 102 is then transported into a secondprocessing zone 67. Similar to the first processing zone 65, the secondprocessing zone 67 includes nozzle arrays 68, 68A, 68B and a suctionmechanism 69. The Second web 72 as one component of the second compositeweb 102 has its lower surface 72B subjected to pillar-shaped water jets.The respective apertures 60 of the first web 61 already formed by thepillar-shaped water jets in the first processing zone 65 now have theirperipheral edges deformed in accordance with the direction in which thepillar-shaped water jets are directed, i.e., from the lower surface 61Btoward the upper surface 61A of the first web 61. In this manner, athird composite web 103 is obtained. The water jets supplied from thenozzle arrays 68, 68A, 68B preferably describe loci which aresubstantially aligned with the loci described by the nozzle arrays 64,64A, 64B in the first processing zone 65.

The third composite web 103 is taken up on a reel or cut into a desiredsize so as to obtain the composite web 100 as shown by FIG. 4. The firstand second webs 61, 72 in the third composite web 103 correspond to thepolymeric web 1 and the fibrous layer 2 in the composite web 100,respectively, and the aperture and the aperture rows of the first web 61correspond to the apertures 9 and the aperture rows 11 of the polymericweb 1, respectively. The peripheral edges of the apertures formed bylocally tearing of the first web 61 under the effect of thepillar-shaped water jets are destined to form the rising portions 12 ofthe polymeric web 1.

Both in the first and second processing zones 65, 67 illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7, respectively, it is preferable that the nozzle has adiameter of 50˜150 μm, each pair of the adjacent nozzles are spaced fromeach other at a pitch of 0.2˜2 mm, a water pressure is selected within arange of 30˜200 kg/cm² and a suction pressure is selected within a rangeof 200˜1000 mm H₂O. Both in the zones 65, 67, the respective webs to beprocessed are transported in a desired direction on suitable supportssuch as mesh screens.

Referring to the process illustrated by FIG. 7, if the first and secondwebs 61, 72 are fed at a room temperature, these webs 61, 72 may besubjected to a pressure heat-sealing between a pair of heated rolls inorder to obtain the first composite web 101. Alternatively, these firstand second webs 61, 72 may be bonded together by means of suitableadhesive agent such as hot melt adhesive to obtain the first compositeweb 101.

If it is necessary, the first and second webs 61, 72 may be madehydrophilic at suitable steps of the process illustrated by FIG. 7. Thefirst web 61 may be replaced by a film which is being uniaxiallystretched along a machine direction in which the film travels in orderto facilitate the intermittent apertures to be obtained.

The invention allows the polymeric web and/or the composite web thereofto be used not only as the liquid-permeable topsheet but also as theliquid-impermeable topsheet in various disposable garments such asdiapers, sanitary napkins, training shorts, diapers for incontinentpatient and pads of various types.

For adoption of the polymeric web and/or the composite web thereof inthe garments as have been described above, principally its orientationis not important. However, particularly when these polymeric web and/orcomposite web thereof are adopted as the topsheet in the garments, theseweb are preferably oriented so that the aperture rows as well as therising portions may extend longitudinally of the garments and bodyexudates discharged on the garments may flow and spread longitudinallyof the garments.

The invention allows the polymeric web to be easily flexed along theaperture rows with a relatively high drapeability, since the polymericweb is provided on its upper surface with a plurality of aperture rowsextending in one direction and the peripheral edges of the respectiveapertures are formed with the undulating fine and deformable risingportions. The invention allows also the surface gloss peculiar to thesmooth polymeric web to be effectively suppressed so as to provide asoft velvet touch.

The composite web obtained by joining the fibrous layer to the lowersurface of the polymeric web well maintains the comfortable touchprovided by the upper surface of the polymeric web and at the same timeincrease a thickness and a tear strength sufficient to handle thecomposite web without an excessive carefulness.

By forming the composite web with the liquid guiding passages, theliquid-permeability can be improved without loss of the comfortabletouch provided by the upper surface of the web.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for manufacturing an apertured webcomposed of a flexible apertured polymeric web as a first web havingupper and lower surfaces, a flexible fibrous sheet as a second webhaving upper and lower surfaces, said upper surface of said second webbeing joined to said lower surface of said first web, and a plurality ofportions of said first web which raise from said upper surface thereofso as to make said upper surface of said first web rough, said methodcomprising the steps of: a. continuously feeding said first web in afirst direction; b. continuously feeding said second web in said firstdirection so that the upper surface of said second web is placed againstthe lower surface of said first web; c. bonding the first and secondwebs together under a pressure to form a first composite web; d.continuously feeding said first composite web in said first direction sothat the upper surface of said first web is subjected to pillar-shapedwater jets supplied from at least one nozzle having a plurality oforifices arranged transversely of said first direction until said firstweb is at least locally torn so that said first web is formed with aplurality of apertures in rows extending in parallel one to another insaid first direction and a second composite web is obtained; and e.continuously feeding said second composite web in said first directionso that, the lower surface of said second web is subjected topillar-shaped water jets supplied from at least one nozzle having aplurality of orifices arranged transversely of said first direction,until peripheral edges of said apertures are partially deformed upwardfrom said lower surface of said first web.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, wherein said step b comprises a step of pressing said first webin a thermally softened state against said second web.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said step b comprises a step of feedingsaid first web together with second web into a nip between a pair ofheated rolls to heat-seal these two webs together.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said step b comprises a step of bondingsaid first and second webs together by means of adhesive agent.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said first web includes fibersselected from the group consisting of thermoplastic synthetic fibers,chemical fibers, natural fibers, and combinations thereof.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 1, further including a step of making said second webhydrophilic.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein thepillar-shaped water jets in steps d and e have loci which are alignedwith one another.
 8. The method according to claim 1 wherein in step dthe first web is repeatedly subjected to said pillar-shaped water jets.9. The method according to claim 1 wherein in step e said lower surfaceof said second web is repeatedly subjected to said pillar-shaped waterjets.
 10. The method according to claim 8 wherein in step e said lowersurface of said second web is repeatedly subjected to said pillar-shapedwater jets.